Inside Athletics

Inside Athletics

Merritt Yackey enters his seventh season as the head softball coach at Lees-McRae College.

Yackey took the reins of a Bobcat softball program in the summer of 2009. Over the six seasons, seven players have been selected as Conference Carolinas All-Conference performers and Yackey was named Coach of the Year in 2011. The 2011 team finished in second place in the Conference Carolinas Tournament, losing 2-1 to Erskine College in the championship game.

The 2012, 2013 and 2014 teams were awarded the Sportsmanship Award. The Award, determined using a voting process implemented by Athletics Directors, which calls for a coach and student-athlete representative to vote together and evaluate the sportsmanship exhibited by conference opponents’ players, coaches and fans during the regular season. In April of 2013, Yackey was awarded the Edgar Tufts Humanitarian Service Award for service in community and campus for Lees-McRae College 2012-13.

In addition, Yackey has served as the Associate Director of Athletics for the past five years. These duties include scheduling all athletic travel, personnel management, assistance with fund raising efforts and special projects within the Bobcat athletic department and its 17 intercollegiate sports.

Yackey brings over 25 years of experience in higher education. He was Director of Development/Special Giving at Albion College from 1988-1993, Director of Development at Converse College from 1995-1996, Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving at Catawba College from 1997-2000, Special Assistant to the President/Campaign Director at Limestone College from 2000-2002, Vice President for Development at Mansfield University from 2002-2004 and Vice President for Advancement at Lees-McRae College from 2004-2007. Yackey also served as the head softball coach at local Avery High School in 2008 and 2009.

Yackey is a graduated of Muskingum University in New Concord, Ohio and earned a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Western Michigan University. He and his wife reside in Newland, North Carolina and are the proud parents of thee children; Millicent, 28; Morgan, 25; and Brock, 22, and one grandson; Mitt, 1.